Traditional Naturopath

We have already reported on this to some extent, but I thought it would be worth repeating this information. This is a BIG story… that is NOT getting enough “airtime” on the major news sources!

Study: Hot chili pepper compound kills cancer without side effects

Capsaicin — the compound that makes chili peppers spicy — can kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells, with no side effects, according to a new study by researchers at Nottingham University in the UK. The study, led by Dr. Timothy Bates, found that capsaicin killed laboratory-grown lung and pancreatic cancer cells by attacking tumor cells’ source of energy and triggering cell-suicide. ‘This is incredibly exciting and may explain why people living in countries like Mexico and India, who traditionally eat a diet which is very spicy, tend to have lower incidences of many cancers that are prevalent in the Western world,’ Bates said. ‘We appear to have discovered a fundamental weakness with all cancer cells. Capsaicin specifically targets cancerous cells, leading to the possibility that a drug based on it would kill tumors with few or no side effects for the patient,’ he said. Bates and his research team found that when cancer cells were treated with capsaicin, the chili pepper compound attacked the tumor cells’ mitochondria — which generate ATP, the chemical that creates energy within the body. Capsaicin also bound to certain proteins within the cancer cells and triggered apoptosis — natural cell death. Bates noted that his team’s capsaicin experiments resulted in cancer cell death without harming the healthy cells surrounding the tumors. The capsaicin compound also managed to kill both lung cancer cells — a standard test for new cancer treatments — and pancreatic cancer cells, which are exceptionally hard to kill.”

” Folic acid, the vitamin prescribed to pregnant women, could be a brain saver, a study has found. People who took high dose supplements of folic acid did significantly better in tests of memory and cognitive performance than those given a placebo, researchers report. The vitamin is found in green leafy vegetables, beans and liver but few people in the UK and northern Europe obtain high enough levels from diet alone. Average intake is around 200 micrograms a day, half the recommended amount. Folic acid plays a crucial role in the development of the embryo and some countries such as the US now fortify flour with the vitamin. As a result the incidence of spina bifida and similar birth defects has declined. Low folate levels have also been linked with poor cognitive performance, but research has failed to show a benefit among people given supplements. Now scientists from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands have demonstrated with the use of more sensitive tests of cognitive performance that high dose folic acid supplements taken over a long period slow the effect of aging on the brain.”

Folic acid sets back effects of aging on the brain by five years, says study

It seems that natural foods and supplements are demonstrating more and more benefit for those that are aging! (As we all are!) So, consider increasing folic acid intake and keep that mind sharp!

A possible promising future “cure” for cancer has been patented. I am not so concerned about whether the “cure” is viable or not at this point, as it it way’s off from being tested yet, but more that they always feel it necessary to “lock down” the possible technology to make it limited, right from the start, due to the “requirement” to make money off it.

Cancer cure patented

“A group of researchers claim that they are patenting a possible cure for cancer involving nothing more than sugar and short-chain fatty acid combination. The Johns Hopkins researchers cautioned that their double-punch molecule, described in the December issue of the journal Chemistry & Biology, has not yet been tested on animals or humans. Nevertheless, they believe it represents a promising new strategy for fighting the deadly disease, and have already filed an application for a U.S. patent covering this class of compounds.” (Emphasis mine.)

I know researchers have to make money, that it involves their livelihood, but with so many suffering from cancer, why is the very FIRST move always to lock it down?

I recently reported on a “cure” that had been announced by Canadian researchers for Type I Diabetes in mice. Now, Dr. Joseph Mercola goes into some additional detail from a natural health perspective.

Red Hot Chili Peppers May Cure Type 1 Diabetes

“Scientists at a Toronto hospital may have discovered proof that the body’s nervous system helps trigger diabetes. This stunning discovery, which shocked even the researchers who made it, could eventually lead to a near-cure of diabetes. Type I diabetes in particulars long been thought to be incurable. Diabetic mice were injected with injected with capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers, which counteracted the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas. The mice became healthy practically overnight. This goes against the previous conventional wisdom that Type 1 diabetes is caused solely by the body’s immune system attacking the pancreas. Apparently, the nerves also secrete neuropeptides that are crucial to the proper functioning of the pancreas. The nervous system could also play a role in other chronic inflammatory conditions, such as asthma and Crohn’s disease. The researchers have not confirmed their findings in people, but expect results from human studies within a year. However, a treatment may still be years away.

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:

Nearly 75 million Americans have diabetes or pre-diabetes, and while only 5 percent have the Type I version, its supposed incurability makes it by far the more challenging form of the illness. So this new research is potentially great news for Type I diabetics. Type 2 diabetes, of course, is already virtually 100 percent curable with natural methods frequently described on my site. This experimental work with capsaicin is an absolutely unexpected discovery that came out of nowhere (except that some Jamaican researchers saw similar results some six years ago). Capsaicin is well-known as a food component with healing properties. While its most common use has been as a component in topical creams for joint pain, it can also be useful for preventing and treating cancer. And like ginkgo, capsaicin is a natural product so the likelihood of serious side effects is very small. This is in stark contrast to the synthetic drug solutions that are developed for chronic illness. I can provide you with insights that will help you sort through the fraud and deception of the drug companies. When you hear or read of some “break though” drug solution for a chronic illness, you can run, don’t walk away from it, because the overwhelming likelihood is that it will cause more harm than benefit. This understanding makes it MUCH easier to view the news. Note that this is true for the beginning of the 21st century. My guess is that this will likely hold true for many more years to come, but science is always advancing and I am certain they will have some radical new developments that will cause a serious refactoring of this principle… The drug companies are notorious for taking natural remedies and making altered, synthetic versions of them that aren’t as good so they can patent them and price them out of reach. However, the good news is that this may end up having nothing to do with the drug companies. Seems like once the protocol is worked out, it may be something the average lay person will be able to implement. I am REALLY excited about this news as it could be life saving for millions of people and the likelihood of any serious complications is virtually non-existent.”

Can you safely add peppers to your diet NOW? Yes. Are there natural herbal preparations that contain capsaicin? Yes. Should you consider taking these supplements? Remember, YOU are the person most responsible for your health!

“Adding plenty of olive oil to a diet could help protect against cell damage that can lead to cancer, experts say. A study of 182 European men found those who had 25 milliliters of olive oil per day had reduced levels of a substance which indicates cell damage. The Danish team said it may explain why many cancer rates are higher in northern Europe than the south, where olive oil is a major part of the diet. The study is in the Federation American Societies for Experimental Biology.”

Olive oil ‘can cut cancer risk’

“The Copenhagen University Hospital researchers looked at 182 healthy men aged between 20 and 60 from five European countries. The scientists added either virgin, common or refined olive oil to their diets over two weeks. At the end of study, scientists measured levels of the substance which indicates oxidative damage to cells, called 8oxodG, in the men’s urine. Oxidative damage is a process whereby the metabolic balance of a cell is disrupted by exposure to substances that result in the accumulation of free-radicals, which can then damage the cell.”

Our old friend Vitamin D is proving valuable again in a new research study!

Vitamin D May Protect Against MS

“There is new evidence supporting the idea that vitamin D helps prevent multiple sclerosis, but it is too soon to recommend taking the vitamin to lower your risk, researchers say. In the first large-scale study to examine the issue, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health reported a strong association between vitamin D levels within the body and MS risk among whites, but not among blacks and Hispanics. The study is published in the Dec. 20 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association. Senior researcher Alberto Ascherio, MD, DrPH, tells WebMD that roughly half of white Americans and two-thirds of black Americans could be considered to have insufficient levels of vitamin D. Because exposure to sunlight is a major source of the vitamin for most people, vitamin D levels are usually lowest in the wintertime. ‘Our findings suggest that vitamin D may have a direct impact on multiple sclerosis risk,’ Ascherio says. ‘If we confirm that the vitamin is protective, we could potentially prevent thousands of cases of MS a year in the United States alone.'”

I have long said that there should not be a schism between Allopathic treatment and Naturopathic treatment. We do not have to be “at odds.” I have pointed out that Allopathic treatment tends to be “heroic” in nature. They tend to take a rather sudden, and drastic approach… but many amazing results can be shown via Allopathic treatment. I don’t believe that they are always the best treatments… but they can be powerful. Now, some Allopathic research into Diabetes has turned up some amazing results… even to the researchers themselves!

Diabetes breakthrough – Toronto scientists cure disease in mice

“In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a Toronto hospital say they have proof the body’s nervous system helps trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the disease that affects millions of Canadians. Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers injected a substance to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas. ‘I couldn’t believe it,’ said Dr. Michael Salter, a pain expert at the Hospital for Sick Children and one of the scientists. ‘Mice with diabetes suddenly didn’t have diabetes any more.’ The researchers caution they have yet to confirm their findings in people, but say they expect results from human studies within a year or so. Any treatment that may emerge to help at least some patients would likely be years away from hitting the market. But the excitement of the team from Sick Kids, whose work is being published today in the journal Cell, is almost palpable. ‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ said Dr. Hans Michael Dosch, an immunologist at the hospital and a leader of the studies. ‘In my career, this is unique.’ Their conclusions upset conventional wisdom that Type 1 diabetes, the most serious form of the illness that typically first appears in childhood, was solely caused by auto-immune responses — the body’s immune system turning on itself. They also conclude that there are far more similarities than previously thought between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and that nerves likely play a role in other chronic inflammatory conditions, such as asthma and Crohn’s disease. The ‘paradigm-changing’ study opens ‘a novel, exciting door to address one of the diseases with large societal impact,’ said Dr. Christian Stohler, a leading U.S. pain specialist and dean of dentistry at the University of Maryland, who has reviewed the work. ‘The treatment and diagnosis of neuropathic diseases is poised to take a dramatic leap forward because of the impressive research.'”

Now, this does not take into account many natural health professionals that claim to have “cured” diabetes with natural methods. I would not be surprised to find that these two approaches had common elements and could even be mutually beneficial. We need to work together, not against each other.

In the drive to develop expensive pharmaceutical drugs that can generate huge revenues for drug companies, the big drug firms are looking more and more at natural remedies that work well. Natural remedies are safer and, in many cases, more effective than artificial drugs. The questions is, when they “steal away” these natural substances by patenting the active element, will this cut into low cost, natural health practices?

Merck to “pirate” Traditional Chinese Medicine compounds to develop new drugs, warns consumer health advocate

“(NewsTarget) German pharmaceutical giant Merck announced last week that it would collaborate with a Chinese pharmaceutical company to develop new cancer drugs based on traditional Chinese herbs and botanical medicines. Hong Kong-based Chi-Med — a pharmaceutical firm that develops consumer health products from natural ingredients used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) — said it will team with Merck to find potential cancer drugs among roughly 10,000 herbal TCM compounds. However, critics say the partnership will only serve to allow Merck to generate more profits from ‘pirated’ natural plant chemicals sold as expensive pharmaceuticals. Consumer health advocate Mike Adams, author of ‘Take Back Your Health Power,’ said Merck’s partnership with Chi-Med would result in the company locating, copying and patenting chemicals found in Chinese herbs, then selling them as prescription drugs. ‘When Chinese firms steal intellectual property from the United States, we call it piracy, but when drug companies acquire medical know-how from Chinese medicine, it’s called research,’ Adams said. ‘But let’s be clear here — I don’t believe Merck is about to start promoting Chinese herbal cures for anything. Merck is most likely looking for molecules it can identify, modify and patent as pharmaceuticals,’ he said. ‘If it finds anything that works, the medicines will likely be sold as Western drugs, not Chinese medicine, and the FDA will continue its assault on herbal medicine even as it approves drugs based on herbal medicine.'”